Within the final workshop, we had to create an album cover which applied all of the techniques that we had learnt in the previous workshops.
The inspiration for our idea was 'teenager'. We brainstormed this idea and came up with connotations that the word gave us and different associations that we have with it.
We eventually came up with the idea of teenage anxiety and used this word as our inspiration. As teenagers ourselves, we can easily relate to this concept and so we were bake to apply our own feelings and experiences to help inspire us.
Thinking about emotions; specifically anxiety, we decided that we wanted the name of the band to be "Anxt". We felt that this was current and had connotations of he emotions that teenagers feel and would therefore appeal to a teenage target audience.
Design wise; we thought that lips would be a good representation of each emotion, drawing on inspiration from The Rolling Stones:
Once we had decided on a teenage target audience, we went on to pick a colour scheme that would be appropriate. We decided to use images of female lips and so we thought that we should keep the colour scheme stereotypically female.
We eventually decided on a colour scheme of pink and purple as it would be more likely to attract a teenage female audience.
We used the type text tool to edit the text and various other tools such as the blur tool to edit the style of the text and make it more grunge and punk rock like to fit with the theme of anxiety and teenage stress.
We first learnt how to edit two images together to create a final image. We experimented with putting one person's head on another's body.
I chose to combine Beyonce's head and John Cena's body because they are so different and therefore the final result would have more of a dramatic effect.
The first thing I did was found two images:
It was important for Beyonce's hair to be up because it meant that when we came to editing, it was much easier to manipulate as there was less detail to worry about.
I first used the polygonal lasso tool to cut out Beyonce's head. I found this the easiest tool to use for this however it still required a steady hand.
Some of John Cena's physique didn't quite fit with Beyonce's head and therefore I had to use tools to remove bits of his neck and ear to make the manipulation look more realistic.
This is the final product:
I also looked at how to use the horizontal type tool to create some text.
Creating text on Photoshop is like creating text on a word document and it offers you the options to smudge or change the size or font of the text to make it look more professional.
Photoshop is a tool used for editing images or videos and allows you to join certain images together and edit them so that they fit to the style that you want them to be.
In this introduction, we only used a few of the many tools available on Photoshop. Many of them are simple to use and self-explanatory, I have labelled some of them below:
"It's a skill not a program"
Photoshop is more commonly described as a skill because the basic skills involved in Photoshop are relatively simple, however the way you are able to use the software and manipulate your image require a certain amount of skill. The more skilled you are at Photoshop, the better the outcome of your product is likely to be.
The basic tools on Photoshop are;
The Move Tool: This tool is simply used for moving images around. Once you have edited an image, it is important to use the move tool because otherwise you end up selecting or editing something else when you're done. The move tool is essentially a safety net. You can click on it to stop selecting something if it goes wrong.
The Rectangular Marquee Tool: This tool can be useful if you need to select a certain patch of colour, but it is only useful for working in boxes. For example, if you wanted to select somebody's head, this tool would only allow you to select a rectangle which would be the wrong shape.
The Lasso Tool:This tool is similar to the rectangular marquee tool accept you are able to select much more detailed shapes with it. This tool offers three different options; the lasso, th polygonal lasso and the magnetic lasso:
4.The Crop Tool: This is used like any other crop tool, simply to crop an image and get rid of the parts of it that you don't want to use.
5.The Eraser Tool: Again, this is simply used to erase anything that you made a mistake on or don't want. This has to be used carefully because Photoshop only has one undo button.
6.The Horizontal Type Tool: This tool is used for any text that you what to include in your Photoshop piece.
Often when you're unable to edit an image on Photoshop, it is because you are on the wrong layer. Photoshop has different layers; the first image that you upload becomes the background layer and any subsequent images become layer on top of that.
It is good to sketch your ideas before you actually go on to create them. Sketching your ideas means that you are able to easily develop them and see the progression. It is also an easy way to change your ideas because there is no restriction. Often, sketching your ideas can give you more inspiration and also means that you get less confused when it comes to creating he final product.
TIPS FOR USING PHOTOSHOP:
If you are unable to edit an image- check which layer you are working on, you may be on the wrong one.
Always hold down the shift key when changing the size of an image because it ensures that the dimensions of it stay the same so it doesn't become distorted.
If you can, always make plans on paper before you begin creating on Photoshop- it is the easiest way to ensure that you don't get confused or lost in what you're doing.
Madonna's 'Like A Prayer' is arguably one of the most controversial music videos of all time. Madonna wanted the video to be more provocative than anything she had done before and so created the video; 'Like A Prayer'.
Essentially, a music video is created as a visual aid for the audience to accompany a song. It allows the artist to express themselves and tell any kind of story that they want to through the video. It is a way of the audience being able to see another meaning to the song and allows the artist to have a voice. Of course, a music video is also essential in promoting the artist as it raises awareness and through the use of social media in 2016, music videos get shared across the world within 24 hours of them being released.
Madonna's interpretation of the video was:
"This is the story of a girl who was madly in love with a
black man, set in South, with this forbidden interracial love affair. And the
guy she's in love with sings in a choir. So she's obsessed with him and goes to
the church all the time. And then it turned into a bigger story, which was
about racism and bigotry."
Madonna's comments appear to describe an innocent love story, but the video shows otherwise:
The video shows some shocking and very controversial imagery that were almost unseen in 1989 when the video was released. Many of the images that Madonna chooses to include can be seen as offensive and inappropriate, especially the connotations of religion. Particularly in the US (in some parts a highly religious country), the images of burning crosses and racism within religion offended and upset many people. It is not difficult for the video to offend certain races and cultures through it's choice of characters and plot line.
Madonna is still a popular star, even today. Dyer's star theory states that to be stars, artists have to posses certain qualities that make them popular with target audiences. Madonna has many of the traits that Dyer suggests a star needs; rebellion, sexual appeal & a disregard for social values- clearly shown through this music video.
Arguably, a lot of Madonna's appeal is down to the way that she has been constructed. Negus' theory of organic vs synthetic artists would definitely state that Madonna is a synthetic artist, constructed by the record label to appeal to a wider audience. The focus in the music video is not on the music but on the plot line and the story that revolves around Madonna throughout, another quality typical of a synthetic artist.
The video begins with Madonna running away and the sound effect of police sirens, immediately giving connotations of rebellion and this has a dramatic effect for the audience, raising questions. They wonder if she has done something wrong, if she is running to safety or away from danger etc.
A lot of the video includes close ups of Madonna, highlighting her star image and making sure that the audience are aware that the main focus should be on her throughout. This means that the sense of fear is lost in the story line because the audience are reminded that the music video is simply a fantasy. She is often lit from behind. This back-lighting had connotations of heaven and God and portrays her almost as an angel.
One of the most controversial aspects of the video is the burning crosses behind Madonna, which have connotations of the Klu Klux Klan. Although she is not directly referencing them, this globally recognised, dangerous imagery provokes a certain amount of fear from the audience and is particularly controversial as the main character within the video is black. Fire also has connotations of danger and therefore the excessive amount of fire adds more of a dangerous element to the video, but also highlight's Madonna's rebellion.
Another particularly controversial topic that Madonna touches on within the video is the issue of racism. At the start of the video, a black mean is being targeted by the police and he is shown as being inferior to the officers and of a lower status- highlighting the issue of racism, which was still a particularly prominent issue at the time the video was released.
Furthermore, not only is the holy figure of Jesus represented as a black man, which to some christians may be seen as offensive, but Madonna also implies that she has sexual intercourse with him which can be seen as extremely offensive to religion.
I would say that this album is an artist. I think this because it is an image of a person on their own, which indicates that it could be a sketch of the artist or a representation that they are a soloist.
Based on Dyer's theory, I would say that this album is organic. I think this because the image is so simplistic and there is minimal use of colour. Furthermore, the artist is not pictured on the front, it is a simple line drawing, suggesting that the emphasis is on the music.
I think that the genre of music is indie. I think this because the album cover represents a genre that is calming and simplistic and it shows a unique and original design, typical of the indie genre.
Personally, I really like this artwork because of it's simplicity and calming nature. I think the bold colour choice makes it stand out and is generally a very appealing colour.
If I could ask the designer some questions I would want to know the significance of the girl, and whether she is representing someone, or simply a symbol. And I would also like to know where the inspiration came from, is it a modern day image or one from the 40's or 50's.
Marlowe- "darksparklecorner"
I think that this album cover is more likely to belong to a band because the image is of a child. It is highly unlikely that this is a picture of the artist. This makes it unlikely that it is the album of a solo artist because it doesn't single anyone out.
I think that again, this album represents an organic artist.I think this because of the unprofessional style of the photograph and the muted, simplistic colours. The fact that the image is not of the artist suggests that the focus is on the music rather than the band's star image.
Similarly to the last album cover, I think that the genre of this music is indie, potentially indie rock and roll due to the unique and controversial image of the scared child.
I'm not as keen on this album because of the muted colours and the image of the child. However, this album cover is very unique and it is unlikely that there are many others like it, making it more likely for people to pick it up because of it's originality.
Questions that I would like to ask the designer are; why have they made the choice to make the image look unprofessional and over-exposed? What is the significance of the boy? Who is he? Has he got a story?
Marlowe- "a day in july"
Due to the image of nature and children, I would again say that this album belongs to a band. Yet again, they have chosen not to include artwork of themselves, but instead other people. Additionally, the group of children may represent the band when they were younger.
This album cover is definitely one of an organic artist because again the image does not try and represent the star at all, meaning that the focus has to be on the music rather than the band as people. The landscape behind the children also makes it more likely that the band is organic because there is an emphasis on nature.
This album seems to be more of an indie-folk one, due to the use of the landscape and the focus of the outdoors, features typical of a more folk or country genre.
I don't particularly like this album artwork because again it uses children and to me they don't seem to add anything and wouldn't make me want to buy the album if I saw it in a shop.
I would like to know why they have chosen such an ambiguous image which raises so many questions for the audience, I would also like to know the significance of children and the outdoors.
Marlowe- "deep breathe fake air"
I would say that this artwork looks more like that of a solo
artist. This is because of the use of just one figure and the fact that the
person as no identity.
I think that the genre is indie again as the artwork provides
an ambiguous, alternative feel, which is a typical convention of the indie
genre.
This album is again organic because of the lack of identity.
This suggests that the artist is not promoting themselves, but the music that
they are producing.
I really like this artwork as it is very unique and the lack
of identity means that the image on the front can apply to anyone or anything-
it is universal.
Some question I would ask are; is there a reason for the
common colour theme? Why did you decide on these two colours together? Who is
the image representative of? Why have they got no identity?
Testcard- "Lines"
I would say that this album is more likely to be a band mainly
because due to the fact that nobody is shown on the cover, suggesting that
there is equal input in the music. The lines could be representative of the
group members.
Again, I would put this in the indie genre because of its
obscurity and ambiguity, typical of the indie genre. Along with the simplistic,
minimalistic, slightly unprofessional feel.
This album artwork represents the band as organic because of
the original and unprofessional look that the artwork gives, suggesting, again
that it is more about the music.
I like this album artwork because it is so simplistic and
would raise many questions, intriguing an audience, but its simplistic may mean
it gets lost on the shelf.
I would like to ask why they have chosen not to show the
band, why the use of the muted colour scheme and what is the significance of ‘testcard’?
Roja- "promises I should've kept"
I think that this album artwork contains elements that show
it could be either a band or a solo artist’s album because of the complex, ambiguous
imagery used.
Similarly to “a day in july”, I would say the genre of this
music is indie-folk because of the apparent location of the wild west.
Yet again, I would say the album is organic. The focus is
not on the image of the star, but on the album, suggesting the importance of
the music and also adding mystery for the audience.
The distorted imagery on this artwork means that this is my
least favourite. Although I like the simplicity of the line drawing the image
comes across as rather disturbing and I don’t think it would particularly appeal
to audiences.
I would like to ask; what is the significance of the locating?
Is the image supposed to be disturbing and distorted? Why? Why is the band name
so much bigger?
I created my website on Wix without looking at Tori Kelly's official website. After creating my site, I looked at her official site and drew some comparisons.
As you can see, the colour schemes of mine and the official website differ. The official website uses dark colours, mainly black and white to convey a simple, clean image of the artist. Although my website has a pale, pastel colour scheme, I think that the design still conveys the simplistic, clean cut image that the official website does. Much like mine, the official website's homepage ins't too cluttered, ensuring that the main focus is on the artist rather than anything else.
The font on the official website and mine are different. The official website uses a straight simple font, all in capital letters ensuring that the most important features of it stand out, for example, the album. Although the pictures that I have chosen to use are different, I think that they both convey similar things because they focus on an extreme close up of the face and the hair, which is a key, distinct feature of the artist.
Tori Kelly is a pop, RnB artist. I think her official website conveys the rock, more hard edge side of her then my website does. This is because of the dark colours used and the gold and black colour scheme.
Both my website and the official website have links for the artist's social medias. These are an important way for fans to be able to connect with the star and mean that they can become both present and absent simultaneously. Social media allows the artist and the fans to have a connection online, making them relateable and making the fans feel closer to them.
Both mine and the official website contain similar links. Both have a gallery and news pages. These enable fans to keep updated with the star and the gallery helps to maintain the image of the artist. Again, the colour schemes differ, with mine sticking to a more pastel, blue colour scheme and the official website black and gold.
Both of the gallerys contain similar photos which are mainly close ups of the artist's face, showing that they are the most important part of the website. many of the pictures on the official website are promoting her music to emphasises that it is what she is selling.
Overall, I would say that Tori Kelly is trying to convey an organic star image and I think both mine and her official website represent this. However, I think her official website come across as more synthetic than the one I have made.
The task was to design a homepage for an existing artist. After deciding which artist to choose, I then decided that I wanted to create more than just a homepage to explore how the website creating tool Wix worked.
I chose Tori Kelly as the artist that I wuld design my website for, this is what I created:
This is a Prezi I have created which reflects upon what I have learnt and how my skills have improved since the Preliminary Task up to filming my Thriller.
As a production group we went through the technologies that we used to create our thriller. We picked the ten most important ones and annotated our final sequence with them.
Please play the video below with annotations for this task.
Creating this thriller opening sequence has taught me about how to use different varieties of technologies and the different things that using a variety of technologies can offer. It has also helped me to appreciate why we need to use these technologies to gain the most effective results and to make sure that what you have created appeals to the target audience that you want to attract.
I have created a sound cloud interview about the thriller opening sequence I have made. It answers the question of how I attracted/addressed my audience.
Interview
Hi Mia, if you have a few moments I would just like to interview you on your upcoming thriller; Thou Shalt Not
Yes of course no worries
Thank you!So my first question for you is who are your target audience?
Well we did a lot of research to find out who our audience would be and we found that our film would appeal mostly to males aged 15-20
EVALUATION TASK 4
So what do you think your target audience will enjoy about the thriller you have made? Well there are many conventions of a thriller within ours and I think these will particularly appeal. We have things like violence, action, mystery and the threat. Without giving too much away there is also a dominant male character playing the psychopath which I think our target audience of males will particularly enjoy and there is a climactic moment when the victim ends up over-powering the main villain
I know we mentioned earlier that your film is a thriller but which type of thriller actually is it?
I would describe the film as a psychological thriller, which is a sub-genre of a thriller.
Would you say that any films influenced you or inspired your film?
Yes, I would say there are a few. Films such as Se7en, swordfish, the Dark Knight, Taken, Shutter Island and As good as dead are all films which had an influence on us when coming up with ideas for the film. These were great as well because they helped to appeal to our target audience. Our film played upon these concepts that these films use to make them appeal to the audience that enjoy these films that are similar to ours.
SIMILAR MEDIA PRODUCTS
Where is your film set?
We decided to set our film in a church
What was your reason for this?
I think a church is a very different concept because it is a juxtaposition to the very dark and evil narrative as a church has connotations of happiness and worship. However, a church is often associated with something creepy or haunted.
Why do you think your audience would respond to this as a location?
Well, this location is controversial because the things that the psychopath is doing make the audience uncomfortable anyway but the fact that he is in a church makes it even more sinister. Also, the location immediately raises questions as the audience want to know how he got there and why there are in a church. Its great because it makes the audience feel uncomfortable as the narrative doesn’t fit with the setting.
How would you sum up the narrative/plot of your film?
It’s essentially about a psychopath killer holding a girl hostage in a church and he gets found by the police.
Why would this attract an audience do you think?
I think this would attract an audience because it is a thrilling concept and has them on the edge of their seat. With a thriller, the audience will already go into the film expecting to feel tense and on edge and they are waiting to be surprised and engaged and I think our thriller caters to all of these expectations.
Who are the characters in your story?
There are three characters; the psychopath, the victim and the policeman.
How would you expect your audience to feel towards each of these characters?
Well I would expect the audience to be confused by the psychopath. The behaviour he displays in the scene is uncommon and so immediately confuses the audience and they are not sure what to think. He is a very split character. Some audience members may love him because he is mysterious and intriguing, whereas others may hate him because he is essentially an evil man and is terrifying because he approaches such a dangerous situation in such a calm manner.
I would like to think that the audience like the victim. I wanted them to be on her side right from the start and so the sequence begins with a shot of her, this means that we are immediately engaged and focused with this character and want her to be saved.
Did you use any narrative devices?
We wanted to create suspense for the audience and so we had the victim with her hands tied up and throughout the sequence kept showing them to hint at her breaking free. We tried to shock the audience with the unexpected reveal of the victim managing to actually break free and stab the psychopath.
How did you use representation to appeal to your audience?
As our target audience is 15-20-year-old males, we have chosen elements within our thriller that will appeal to this audience. For example, we chose an attractive female to be the victim for the reason that it will not only appeal to a male audience but it also adheres to the stereotype of females being weaker than males. The use of weapon to create suspense and action should also appeal to this audience.
What music and sounds did you decide to include in your film?
We decided to include a non-diegetic soundtrack to create tension for the audience straight away. This soundtrack gradually builds which would reflect the gradual build in tension and suspense that the audience will feel when watching the sequence. We also used the diegetic sounds of the church bells at the end of the sequence because this reinforces the location for the audience and therefore makes them feel more uncomfortable. The church bells also create an atmosphere for the audience and adds to the drama and the scale of what has happened, making the stabbing at the end more dramatic. Both of these choices are good for the audience because they will offer the tension and the suspense that they will expect to find within a thriller and so it makes the film more enjoyable for them.
Why did you choose to do your titles in the way that you have?
We have created a low budget film and so we have used up and coming actors but we wanted to give the impression that these are bug names so that the audience will be more drawn to the film. We created this effect by showing the names in the opening sequence without saying what role they played. I think this gives them more importance and in turn makes the audience more intrigued. Similarly, the logo for our institution is the first thing that the audience see on top of the action. We decided to place this in the centre of the shot to emphasise to the audience the important of the company and therefore make them want to watch the film even more.
What editing techniques did you use?
The most effective editing technique decided on was keeping short shot durations because it is a familiar style for our target audience and it keeps them more engaged in the action. However, we also contrasted this by using longer shot durations on sots that the audience may not want to see for longer, for example, when the psychopath licks the knife and cuts his tongue. We leave this shot for just a bit longer than the audience would want to make them feel uncomfortable and on edge-almost as if they want to look away.
What conventions of a thriller have you used & how have you used them?
We’ve used the classic convention of a thriller of having a male villain and a male hero-similar to the dark knight trilogy in that way. We decided to use this convention because it is a familiar concept for our target audience and so they will respond to it and as a result be more engaged in the sequence. We also included the typical damsel in distress for the same reasons. The location, although unconventional, is still typical of a thriller as it is dark and creepy.
I researched into what the target audience for our thriller would be. Below is a video showing interviews with different age ranges to help me to gather information and research on what the most appropriate target audience for our thriller would be.
RESPONSES
Girls 15-20
Age? 17
Fav genre of film? Comedy
Do you like thrillers? Some not all, more action thrillers.
What grabs immediate attention? Unique twist
How do they make you feel? Something exciting and something you don’t expect happens
Would you watch our film? Yeah if there’s lots of action
Age? 17
Fav genre of film? Fantasy or romance
Do you like thrillers? Not a big fan, depends on what kind
What grabs immediate attention? Interesting storyline interesting concept and has to grab attention quickly
How do they make you feel? Creeped out. Action= excited
Would you watch our film? Quite interesting to see that concept because I haven’t heard of it before.
Boys 15-20
Age? 17
Fav genre of film? Action thriller
Do you like thrillers? Yes, engaging
What grabs immediate attention? Interesting and fast paced plot
How do they make you feel? Good, exhilarated good endorphins
Would you watch our film? Sounds amusing yes defo.
Age? 17
Fav genre of film? Action
Do you like thrillers? Yes because they make your heart race
What grabs immediate attention? Plot line and the cast
How do they make you feel? Confused usually
Would you watch our film? Yeah sounds like fun
Men 21-39
Age? 21
Fav genre of film? Comedy or Sci-Fi
Do you like thrillers? Yeah but I’d rather watch something else
What grabs immediate attention? The premise, franchise e.g comic book
How do they make you feel? Depends on the sub-genre but usually good
Would you watch our film? If cast right and had a decent build up then yes.
Women 21-39
Age? 26
Fav genre of film? Comedy
Do you like thrillers? Yes they’re alright, particularly gory thrillers
What grabs immediate attention? Hard to work out storyline, I don’t want to be able to work out the plot line too quickly. Cast
How do they make you feel? Emotional or bored
Would you watch our film? Sounds good but probably not
Women 40+
Age? 48
Fav genre of film? Psychological thrillers
Do you like thrillers? Yes, I like the excitement, tension, not knowing what will happen next
What grabs immediate attention? The tension, the actors, the opening scene
How do they make you feel? Relieved depending on the outcome, excited
Would you watch our film? Absolutely
Age? 75
Fav genre of film? Criminal
Do you like thrillers? Yes , the suspense and hoping I can solve the problem before the end of the movie
What grabs immediate attention? The actors, atmosphere and opening scene
How do they make you feel? Looking for more- sequel to the action
Would you watch our film? Yes I would
Men 40+
Age? 50
Fav genre of film? Thrillers
Do you like thrillers? Yes, there is anticipation, build-up of the story, the opening scene and seeing how things develop and the twists and the turns. Soundtrack and atmosphere.
What grabs immediate attention? Opening scene is the most important but also unexpected twists & unpredictability
How do they make you feel? Scared
Would you watch our film? Yeah, sounds interesting
Age? Over 40
Fav genre of film? Dark comedy or music
Do you like thrillers? Not really
What grabs immediate attention? Got to be interesting straight away.
How do they make you feel? Intrigued
Would you watch our film? No probably not
RESULTS
OUR TARGET AUDIENCE
Looking at the results that we obtained, I think that the audience for our thriller would be males from ages 21-39. I think our Thriller would also appeal to an audience of 15-20 year old boys but because of the slightly gory, psychopathic element to the thriller, I think it would suit an older target audience more. We found that most males regardless of their age like thrillers or action packed movies. For example, 4 out of the 6 men that we asked said their favourite genre of film was an action or thriller, showing us that our thriller is definitely suited to a male audience.
Our interviews really helped me to see what sort of people we would need to market our thriller to. It would be a male who enjoys action packed films which give an adrenaline rush at the end and so something action packed would be essential to grab their attention and make them want to see the film. I think our film suits this category and would appeal to a wide range of males but especially ones that enjoy the more high paced action style films with and element of gore and horror.
I have made an example member of our target audience and created different social media profiles for them.
I firstly created a Facebook profile:
This Facebook profile represents a member of our target audience who is 24 years old. I have also accumulated various different things that I think a member of our target audience would like:
I chose action packed films and many franchises because I think that this is very appealing for a male target audience. This could possibly show us that we would need to think about more films after the one we have made to create demand and a wider audience. The films I have included are all very well known as 'classics' as I think although our idea is original, it would fit into this category and would appeal to males with this sort of taste in films.
I also created a 'Pinterest' account for Jack because it is a clear representation of a person's likes and dislikes and is a very visual way of representing what our target audience would be:
